illustration: Berk Karaoglu.
With this cursed year coming to a close, Berlin descends into one of the most magical times of the year: the holidays. Normally complete with Glühwein, freezing cold, and Christmas markets, this winter is going to feel far from normal (except the freezing cold). Although the holidays may be a bit different this year, it’s still the season to give back to the people you love and the city we all love. We’ve compiled this gifting guide featuring small businesses from Berlin if you’re looking for an alternative to Amazon. All the businesses listed in the following guides are small, ethical, locally owned, and sure to make your loved ones (and their owners) smile.
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by Adri | Christmas Present
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If you’ve lived in Berlin for a long time and your job is all about knowing everything about the city, I can tell you, to surprise me with something new is a feat you are gonna be destined to fail at. Alas, of course, you are really inventive. And whoever organized that scavenger hunt by glo™ that I was invited to join last week sure was!
The whole experience made me realize, that the city has an infinite amount of surprises left for me to experience. Discovering Berlin from a new angle, seeing places I hadn’t seen before, or seeing familiar places in a new light – this is what keeps me motivated to do this blog and it keeps my enthusiasm for Berlin as fresh as on the first day.
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by Frank | Products, Stories
Especially in winter when the days are short and the light is gloomy, every Berliner wishes to hop on a plane to Bali or at least to South Europe. But all the plane-hopping is surely not so good for our planet and not the best choice if you have a fulltime job and a family here in Berlin.
Exactly 11 years ago on a really hard winter night, a friend of mine brought me to my first SUNYOGA class in Kreuzberg. Afterward, I felt completely exhausted but in the nicest way. Like you had spent a whole day at the ocean. Back then I had never heard of the concept of Hot Yoga and did not know anything about the health benefits and how it would change my life for good.
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by Claudio | Wellness
Berlin offers a plethora of wonderful places with amazing coffee, breakfast and brunch options. But especially now in the sunny months of the year what we are really craving for is enjoy all of this outside in the sun. And here it becomes tricky because not every cafe has a great outdoor area. Sometimes they are a little too cramped at the side of the sidewalk, totally in the shade or not very big. We’ve gone around to some of our favorite places to test their outdoor areas for optimal sunshine and present you here our pickings in our new sunny breakfast guide. Enjoy!
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by Frank | Cafés, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Mitte, Neukölln, Prenzlauer Berg, Wedding
When you’ve got your life somehow vaguely figured out in Berlin, it is very easy to fall into a weekly routine. You see the same people, eat at the same restaurants and go after your favorite hobby. And somehow, this routine becomes dangerously comfortable, until boredom dares us to try something new. Personally, I fear and love my comfort zone. Love it, because Netflix & Angry Chicken with my hubby is fricking amazing. Hate it, because it keeps my mind from expanding. So, I challenge you and me to go out and try something new in the upcoming weeks. I came up with some ideas, fellas, see you there!!
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by Franziska | Stories
I guess everyone has a few very personal routines in their daily life, that they are very particular about. Little details that just spark a little bit of happiness. May it be the joy of using the same colorful little teacup every morning, wearing your favorite shoes to work or listening to the right song while sitting on your favorite spot by the door. I personally am very particular where I go to enjoy my coffee. Mostly before work or at lunch. The place has to be friendly, cozy, unpretentious and yet unique – topped by a tasty cappuccino!
The other day I was walking on Hermanstraße when I discovered a beautiful brick stone building, that had a sign next to it saying “21 Gramm”. It pointed toward a cozy courtyard, away from the busy street. Following that sign, little did I know that I was about to discover the most unusual café on Hermannstraße. Pushing the curtains at the entrance aside, you unexpectedly uncover a spacious room, with beautiful high ceilings and large columns that are connected by graceful bows. This unusual space has got all the atmosphere you could possibly wish for in a café. I knew immediately: This was the place I would sit down and enjoy my coffee!
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by Franziska | Cafés, Neukölln
photo: Martina Trovato
With all the cool and cozy cafes in Neukölln, O.A.K. definitely stands out as one of the most delightful. It’s not only the ideal place to sip a cup of a well-brewed Italian cappuccino while chatting with your friends, but also a nice spot to get some work done on your laptop and fill your belly with homemade delicacies.
O.A.K. Cafè is run by a joyful Italian couple: Giulia and Martino (plus the cute glasses-wearing koala in a Hawaii shirt enjoying a coffee, the symbol of O.A.K.). I am personally a loyal customer and it’s always a pleasure to have a word with them.
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by Giulio | Cafés, Neukölln
photo: Urte Kaunas
There are so many stories written about Berlin: a city of inspiration, creativity, lost and found spirit, art and music, crazy dance floor love fairytales and never ending discoveries. In the end, every story reflects its personal angle and puts a different color pallet to fill the page. Berlin is made of many different routes – so let’s ride.
Getting into the streets by a city bike, having a cup of beautiful coffee on the way, observing the people in the streets, having spontaneous chats and exploring the local cafes and restaurants sounds like a perfect idyll of a day in Berlin.
For our brand new guide we got together with the charming Edoardo, head barista of Refinery High End Coffee in Mitte and Kreuzberg, and teamed up with Creme Cycles and the bikecitizens app to create a bike tour that unites the spirits of Berlin, delicious coffee and beautiful bikes.
Our tour starts in the most beloved and diverse districts of Berlin: “Kreuzberg is purely bizarre: you never know what to expect from the people, it’s ever changing and there is always something odd to discover,” says Edo before we start our tour…
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by Guest Author | Bars, Cafés, Kreuzberg
One of Berlin’s hottest neighborhoods, home to the longest surviving part of the Berlin Wall turned into the East Side Gallery, as well as some of the best clubs and bars, Friedrichshain couldn’t be missing from our coffee guide: little spots, great coffee. Some very dedicated coffee enthusiasts make sure each coffee experience we have in this neighborhood is an amazing one. Make sure you try these places out when you find yourself around this part of the city.
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by Stella | Cafés, Friedrichshain
photo: Auste Skrupskyte
Setting out to discover the best places one can enjoy their cup of specialty coffee, always-busy Kreuzberg was a stop we enjoyed making, full of cute little cafes, offering coffee that blew us away. Once you find yourself around there, make sure you don’t miss out on these places.
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by Stella | Cafés, Kreuzberg
